This application claims the priority of German patent documents 10 2009 035 728.9, filed Aug. 1, 2009 and 10 2009 048 168.0, filed Oct. 1, 2009, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a mounting arrangement and a method for mounting a roof element, for example, on a motor vehicle.
In a previously known method of mounting a roof element, particularly a roof joined for mounting, the roof is fixedly connected in advance, using additional resources, for example, in the form of tensioning and fixing devices, which results in increased mounting expenditures and therefore in higher costs. As a result, the cost of the above-mentioned roof element itself is also increased.
In particular, the joining of vehicle body components made of different metals or metal alloys leads to the problem of contact corrosion. If the materials of the joined components are situated sufficiently far away from one another in the electrochemical series, an electron drift and a formation of oxide or hydroxide will occur particularly with the admission of moisture. Such component connections therefore must be galvanically insulated from one another at high expenditures in order to prevent this electrochemical process.
When linking a roof panel part to a side wall of a motor vehicle, the components are usually connected with one another by corresponding flange areas, and are subsequently clip-painted. If a roof panel made of aluminum is connected in this manner with a side wall made of steel, it must be ensured that the connection areas are wetted in the dipping paint bath, so as to ensure galvanic insulation by the paint.
A further problem when dip-painting such hybrid vehicle bodies lies in the different thermal expansion coefficients of aluminum and steel. Since, during the dip painting, a heat treatment step in an oven follows the dipping bath, roof panels made of aluminum cannot be firmly connected with the vehicle body frame made of steel while they pass through this process because otherwise there would be tensions and distortions. However, in order to ensure a uniform paint color, the roof panel must be painted together with the residual vehicle body. It is therefore necessary to create a temporary fixed connection between the roof and the vehicle body which permits joint painting of the respective components while ensuring that the connection areas are wetted with paint, and at the same time permits the roof and the remaining vehicle body to expand independently of one another during the heat treatment.
Such a method of connecting components of the motor vehicle is disclosed, for example, in German Patent Document DE 10 2008 005 286 A1, in which a temporary glued connection is created between the components which can be released again after the painting, and is replaced by the final gluing-together. However, such methods have the disadvantage that removal of the adhesive of the temporary glued connection requires high expenditures and it time-consuming.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a simplified method of mounting a roof element of the initially mentioned type, as well as a simplified mounting arrangement for a roof element.
This and other objects and advantages are achieved by the method and apparatus according to the invention for mounting a roof element on the body of a motor vehicle (particularly a passenger car) in which, relative to a roof frame element, the roof element is moved from a “prefixing” position into a final mounting position. In its prefixing position, the roof element is prefixed relative to the roof frame element by a prefixing pairing of at least one roof-element-side prefixing element and at least one roof-frame-element-side prefixing element. This means therefore that the roof element can be prefixed with respect to the roof frame without any additional and separate components or resources, for example, in the form of tensioning and fixing devices. This simplifies the mounting of the roof element, which results in a reduction of the mounting costs. The method according to the invention makes it possible, for example, to prefix a roof joined for mounting on a roof frame for a surface pass.
The roof-element-side, or the roof-frame-element-side prefixing element, or both, are advantageously constructed in one piece with theroof element or with the roof frame element, which reduces the number of parts, and in turn, further reduces costs for the mounting.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, in the prefixing position, the roof-element-side prefixing element is caused to engage at least in regions in the roof-frame-element-side prefixing element, by bending over a T-shaped lug, which is the shape of the roof-element-side prefixing element constructed in one piece with the roof element or fastened to the latter. The lug engages in a groove provided for this purpose, which groove represents the roof-frame-side prefixing element and is provided or made available, for example, laterally on the roof frame element. Thus, the roof element is prefixed relative to the roof frame element in both the longitudinal and vertical directions of the roof frame, as well as and in the transverse direction.
Displacement of the roof element relative to the roof frame element in the direction of an open side of the roof-frame-element-side prefixing element, or of the groove, is precluded because a similar or identical prefixing pairing is provided on an opposite side of the roof element and of the roof frame element respectively. Such prefixing pairing prevents a displacing of the roof element with respect to the roof frame element in the direction of an open side of the roof-frame-element-side prefixing element on the side which, in turn, is opposite.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that, in the prefixing condition, the roof element is spaced from the roof frame element by a lug (particularly, a round lug) resting on the roof element. This spacing permits a coating of an assembly consisting of the roof element and the roof frame element, for example, by a cathodic dip painting, during which, as a result of this spacing, the dipping bath can penetrate into all regions of the roof element and of the roof frame element. Thus, no contact of the roof element and of the roof frame element would prevent a coating in these regions. When the roof element is moved from the prefixing position into the final mounting position, it is advantageously provided that the spacing of the roof element from the roof frame element is eliminated, for example, such that, when the final mounting position or a construction position of the roof element has been reached, the above-mentioned lug dips away into a corresponding recess or passage opening or the like on the part of the roof frame element.
It should be noted at this point that an arrangement of the respective prefixing element, or prefixing elements, that is opposite to what was mentioned above would also be possible. In every respect, the method according to the invention achieves a saving of additional resources, which lowers the costs for the mounting and makes it possible to save mounting time.
In addition, the invention relates to a mounting arrangement of a roof element on a vehicle body of a motor vehicle, particularly a passenger car, in which the roof element can be moved relative to the roof frame element, from a prefixing position into a final mounting position. In its prefixing position, the roof element can be prefixed by a prefixing pairing of at least one roof-element-side and at least one roof-frame-element-side prefixing element. Advantageous further developments of the method should be considered to be advantageous further developments of the mounting arrangement and vice-versa. By the mounting arrangement according to the invention, all advantages of reducing the cost and the time when mounting the roof element on the roof frame element can be implemented which are described in connection with the method according to the invention.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.